Funeral director has lengthy criminal history

Published: Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 10:50 p.m.

A Hendersonville man has reclaimed his father's ashes, lost when the funeral home he paid to cremate his father abruptly went under.

Richard Mosley, who owned the funeral home, is now facing 19 felony counts for charges including obtaining property by false pretense and writing worthless checks to keep his funeral operation alive.

His business, which closed March 1 when he was evicted, is currently at the center of an investigation that dates back to December. Mosely's history of writing worthless checks in the state, however, dates back even further, to 1995.

Mike Suggs sought the services of South Park Funeral and Cremation at 124 Joel Wright Drive in Hendersonville in mid-January after the death of his father. He paid for his father to be cremated, but a couple of months later was still waiting for his father's ashes. When Suggs tried to call the funeral home this month, he found the number disconnected.

Hendersonville police found Suggs' father's ashes Wednesday and gave them to his grateful son.

The North Carolina Board of Funeral Services has been investigating South Park since December after receiving complaints, some of which trickled in from out of state. The board currently has four complaints about the business, all related to "performance of cremation contracts," according to Peter Burke, executive director.

Prior complaints, which were dismissed due to jurisdictional conflicts, evolved around "financial issues," he said.

Stiffing the competition

At least four local crematoriums say they were stiffed by Mosley when he wrote them bad checks for services provided to his company.

Carmaletta Gates, who owns Appalachian Funeral Services and Crematorium in Sylva with her husband, David Gates, said their company handled three cremations for South Park a few weeks ago.

She said Mosley paid for the first when he came to pick the ashes up.

"Then he brought us two more," Carmaletta Gates said, but they've yet to see a dime. "The last two, we don't anticipate ever getting paid for."

Gates said the families came to retrieve the remains from the last two cremations, and that Appalachian is working with the state board in its investigation.

An arrest warrant dated Dec. 14, 2012, charging Mosley with one felony count of attempting to obtain property by false pretense, says Mosley had "Asheville Mortuary Services conduct cremations and other services for South Park." Police say he paid the company in August 2012 with a $1,000 check from an account that closed last May.

The district director for Asheville Mortuary Services could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

A representative of Eggers Funeral Home & Crematory in Chesnee, S.C., said they, too, handled a "few" cremations for Mosley in 2012, but never received payment.

A representative of the Cremation Society of South Carolina said he was contacted by Mosley "about six or eight months ago."

"They were trying to find a crematory to do cremation for them," he said, adding that he contemplated going into business with South Park. "The weird thing is they were trying to be a low-cost leader and they clearly didn't have a provider to do their work for them."

The representative, who asked not to be named, said he thought of a way to help them and "extend our presence in that area," but never got a call back from Mosley after leaving a few messages.

Dale Downey, funeral director for Seawright Funeral Home & Crematory in Inman, S.C., said Mosley paid to use one of their pieces of "cremation jewelry," which holds ashes. He paid with a $90 check, Downey said; the check bounced.

Downey said they reported the incident to the North Carolina board and it "seemed like they didn't care much."

Board investigates

No disciplinary action was ever taken against Mosley, since he does not hold an active license to conduct funerals in the state. Burke said Mosley's license lapsed in 1996, but he did not have to have a license to own the funeral home.

"It doesn't really matter who the owner is so long as there is a licensed manager who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the funeral home," Burke said.

Mosley's manager, Danny Ray McIntosh, is licensed in the state, and Burke added that they have received no complaints against McIntosh.

Burke said the funeral services board first inspected the funeral home after it opened in the fall of 2011, and that it passed. The business was called Four Seasons Funeral Home then, said Billy Pace, who managed his family's property while it was rented to Mosley on Joel Wright Drive.

Pace said that "after seasons and seasons of him not paying his rent and me begging him to leave," and even offering to help him move, Pace decided to evict Mosley on March 1.

Pace had Mosley's stuff removed when he failed to come get it, he said, adding, "I begged him to come get his stuff."

Some items were seized in the state's investigation, Pace said.

Hendersonville police are working with the board, "investigating several complaints regarding the former South Park Funeral Service," Lt. Chris LeRoy said in a news release. "The police department has been speaking with former patrons of the business in an effort to determine if any criminal laws have been violated."

The release said the department has been working with the board to locate and return the remains of individuals given to South Park.

"I'm glad to have my dad's ashes back and I'm thankful to the city police department for their investigation and being able to locate my dad's ashes," Suggs said. "I don't want to talk no more about this. I want to put it behind me."

Citizens with concerns about the services of South Park Funeral and Cremation Services should contact the N.C. Board of Funeral Service at 919-733-9380 or visit www.ncbfs.org.

Record of worthless checks in NC

Mosley, 53, was arrested in 1995 for five charges of worthless checks and one count of common law robbery. The charges were consolidated into one count for a worthless check and he was given a suspended sentence and probation.

Eight more charges for worthless checks popped up on his criminal record through 1996. Those counts were also consolidated into one and were included in his suspended sentence and probation, which was ordered June 23, 1997.

On April 27, 1998 in Henderson County, his probation was revoked and he was sentenced to a little more than a year in prison for credit card theft, embezzlement and cheating property or services.

On March 6, 2001 in Henderson County, Mosley was sent back to jail in the Department of Corrections for cheating property or services. A few months later he was sentenced to two months for a worthless check violation, three months for cruelty to animals and nine months for cheating property or services in another county.

In Nov. 2004 in Henderson County, he was convicted of counts for worthless checks and given probation. He was convicted of writing a worthless check and sentenced to probation again in 2007 in the county.

Mosley now faces 16 felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense, two felony counts for worthless checks and one felony count of attempting to obtain property by false pretense.

<p>A Hendersonville man has reclaimed his father's ashes, lost when the funeral home he paid to cremate his father abruptly went under. </p><p>Richard Mosley, who owned the funeral home, is now facing 19 felony counts for charges including obtaining property by false pretense and writing worthless checks to keep his funeral operation alive. </p><p>His business, which closed March 1 when he was evicted, is currently at the center of an investigation that dates back to December. Mosely's history of writing worthless checks in the state, however, dates back even further, to 1995.</p><p>Mike Suggs sought the services of South Park Funeral and Cremation at 124 Joel Wright Drive in Hendersonville in mid-January after the death of his father. He paid for his father to be cremated, but a couple of months later was still waiting for his father's ashes. When Suggs tried to call the funeral home this month, he found the number disconnected. </p><p>Hendersonville police found Suggs' father's ashes Wednesday and gave them to his grateful son.</p><p>The North Carolina Board of Funeral Services has been investigating South Park since December after receiving complaints, some of which trickled in from out of state. The board currently has four complaints about the business, all related to "performance of cremation contracts," according to Peter Burke, executive director.</p><p>Prior complaints, which were dismissed due to jurisdictional conflicts, evolved around "financial issues," he said.</p><p><b>Stiffing the competition</b></p><p>At least four local crematoriums say they were stiffed by Mosley when he wrote them bad checks for services provided to his company. </p><p>Carmaletta Gates, who owns Appalachian Funeral Services and Crematorium in Sylva with her husband, David Gates, said their company handled three cremations for South Park a few weeks ago. </p><p>She said Mosley paid for the first when he came to pick the ashes up.</p><p>"Then he brought us two more," Carmaletta Gates said, but they've yet to see a dime. "The last two, we don't anticipate ever getting paid for."</p><p>Gates said the families came to retrieve the remains from the last two cremations, and that Appalachian is working with the state board in its investigation.</p><p>An arrest warrant dated Dec. 14, 2012, charging Mosley with one felony count of attempting to obtain property by false pretense, says Mosley had "Asheville Mortuary Services conduct cremations and other services for South Park." Police say he paid the company in August 2012 with a $1,000 check from an account that closed last May.</p><p>The district director for Asheville Mortuary Services could not be reached for comment Wednesday.</p><p>A representative of Eggers Funeral Home & Crematory in Chesnee, S.C., said they, too, handled a "few" cremations for Mosley in 2012, but never received payment.</p><p>A representative of the Cremation Society of South Carolina said he was contacted by Mosley "about six or eight months ago." </p><p>"They were trying to find a crematory to do cremation for them," he said, adding that he contemplated going into business with South Park. "The weird thing is they were trying to be a low-cost leader and they clearly didn't have a provider to do their work for them." </p><p>The representative, who asked not to be named, said he thought of a way to help them and "extend our presence in that area," but never got a call back from Mosley after leaving a few messages. </p><p>Dale Downey, funeral director for Seawright Funeral Home & Crematory in Inman, S.C., said Mosley paid to use one of their pieces of "cremation jewelry," which holds ashes. He paid with a $90 check, Downey said; the check bounced.</p><p>Downey said they reported the incident to the North Carolina board and it "seemed like they didn't care much."</p><p><b>Board investigates</b></p><p>No disciplinary action was ever taken against Mosley, since he does not hold an active license to conduct funerals in the state. Burke said Mosley's license lapsed in 1996, but he did not have to have a license to own the funeral home.</p><p>"It doesn't really matter who the owner is so long as there is a licensed manager who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the funeral home," Burke said.</p><p>Mosley's manager, Danny Ray McIntosh, is licensed in the state, and Burke added that they have received no complaints against McIntosh.</p><p>Burke said the funeral services board first inspected the funeral home after it opened in the fall of 2011, and that it passed. The business was called Four Seasons Funeral Home then, said Billy Pace, who managed his family's property while it was rented to Mosley on Joel Wright Drive.</p><p>Pace said that "after seasons and seasons of him not paying his rent and me begging him to leave," and even offering to help him move, Pace decided to evict Mosley on March 1. </p><p>Pace had Mosley's stuff removed when he failed to come get it, he said, adding, "I begged him to come get his stuff."</p><p>Some items were seized in the state's investigation, Pace said. </p><p>Hendersonville police are working with the board, "investigating several complaints regarding the former South Park Funeral Service," Lt. Chris LeRoy said in a news release. "The police department has been speaking with former patrons of the business in an effort to determine if any criminal laws have been violated."</p><p>The release said the department has been working with the board to locate and return the remains of individuals given to South Park.</p><p>"I'm glad to have my dad's ashes back and I'm thankful to the city police department for their investigation and being able to locate my dad's ashes," Suggs said. "I don't want to talk no more about this. I want to put it behind me."</p><p>Citizens with concerns about the services of South Park Funeral and Cremation Services should contact the N.C. Board of Funeral Service at 919-733-9380 or visit www.ncbfs.org.</p><p><b>Record of worthless checks in NC</b></p><p>Mosley, 53, was arrested in 1995 for five charges of worthless checks and one count of common law robbery. The charges were consolidated into one count for a worthless check and he was given a suspended sentence and probation. </p><p>Eight more charges for worthless checks popped up on his criminal record through 1996. Those counts were also consolidated into one and were included in his suspended sentence and probation, which was ordered June 23, 1997.</p><p>On April 27, 1998 in Henderson County, his probation was revoked and he was sentenced to a little more than a year in prison for credit card theft, embezzlement and cheating property or services.</p><p>On March 6, 2001 in Henderson County, Mosley was sent back to jail in the Department of Corrections for cheating property or services. A few months later he was sentenced to two months for a worthless check violation, three months for cruelty to animals and nine months for cheating property or services in another county.</p><p>In Nov. 2004 in Henderson County, he was convicted of counts for worthless checks and given probation. He was convicted of writing a worthless check and sentenced to probation again in 2007 in the county.</p><p>Mosley now faces 16 felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense, two felony counts for worthless checks and one felony count of attempting to obtain property by false pretense. </p><p>He is set to appear in Henderson County District Court on April 19.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>